Books and Food

June was a hectic month for me, had to travel to Kuching during the first week and then twice to KL during the 3rd & 4th week. It was a really nasty experience to be travelling on a plane while having flu. Imagine having your nose blocked and ears blocked due to the high altitude air pressure. Nose-block was manageable, just need to blow my nose but quite embarrassing making so much noise but the ear-block was a torture, tried all methods like yawning, chewing on gums, drinking water but to no avail ..... it was a painful experience.

Luckily on the way back to KK, I bought this book "Empress Orchid" written by Anchee Min at LCCT, KL. Thus, I kept myself engrossed in reading the fascinating story of the popular and at the same time notorious Empress Dowager Cixi.

And now I'm after its sequel, "The Last Empress"... hope I can find it soon....


Ok, put aside the empress, let me recall some of the food I came across during my trip to Kuching, that reminds me in the Empress Orchid book, Cixi was served 99 dishes for each meal!

Hawker food at open market, Jalan Song
Char-kuay stuffed with minced meat and topped with salad cream, very crispy but oily...

Kacang-ma, funny taste and oily... still prefer our rice wine chicken...

Fried kuay teow with tomato sauce at the Sarawak Golf Club, quite ok, but I still prefer the Hongkee style 'wah-tan-hor'

This one is good, 'konlo spinach noodles' at a coffee shop, I forgot its name but when you're in Kuching, you just mention about the spinach noodles, the locals will know where to get it for you, a must try...